adminMzingaye Sibanda Sports Reporter
SHABANIE Mine hosts the African Association Mines Track and Field Championships starting this afternoon at Maglas Stadium.
The event is expected to end tomorrow.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has designated the championships for national selection purposes. This is despite the fact that the track there is poor which could contribute to slow times.
Athletes will also bid to qualify for the Coke ZITF Four Minute Mile Challenge finals set for April 26 and the African Junior Championships scheduled for Namibia in May.
With the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, United States of America and African Senior Championships in Morocco later this year, there will be other competitions athletes will be shortlisted for.
Naaz vice-president Enias Nhoro said they expect over 500 athletes to take part in the championships.
“We are waiting for confirmation, but we are ready for the competition. If everything goes well we are expecting over 500 athletes. Our national selection is done continuously so we will be selecting athletes for national events, which will be starting this month going onwards,” said Nhoro.
National University of Science and Technology, Sparrows, ZRP Midlands, Midlands State University, Zisco, Freda Rebecca Mine, Mashonaland East and the hosts Shabanie Mine have confirmed participation. Bulawayo giants, Sparrows will pin their hopes on youngsters.
They have a pool of promising young athletes like Yvonne Vanhuvaone, Andile Khumalo, Cythnia Taderera and Patience Guruve.
Bulawayo Athletics Board chairman Manuel Mpofu praised Shabanie for hosting the event.
He said the event brings back memories of the once-viable Chamber of Mines Championships which were held at Maglas every four years.
The likes of national high jump record holder Juma Phiri, Temba Ncube, Gabriel Chikomo and Olympian Eliot Mujaji are all products of mines sports.
‘It’s good that Shabanie is holding this event. It takes us down memory lane when Chamber of Mines used to be viable and the biggest event in athletics.”
Mpofu encouraged more athletes to use this opportunity to qualify for the mile challenge.
“I hope more athletes will take this opportunity to qualify for the mile challenge, we want to have as many athletes as we can,” said Mpofu.
Online Reporter